One day, after successfully getting an order from the court, I said “Thank you, Your Honor” to the court… and I get frowned at by a senior lawyer, “Much Obliged, Much Obliged” he said.
So on another day, when I witnessed so many other senior lawyer also “Thank you Your Honor”, I asked a learned friend, what’s wrong with “Thank you, Your Honor” and was told this:
When you “thank” the court, you are saying the court is “doing you a favor” and that is not right because the court does not do anyone any favor, the court gives you an “order” a “direction”, like it or not, you are bound to comply, and that is why you can only “oblige” to the court.
Okay, point taken, and I would “oblige”… but I have one problem… I have problems with pronunciations! The kind of person that would say “Ular Lari Lurus” as “ulah lali luluh”!
In court,
If you ask me to say “Substituted Service”
I’d inevitably utter “Sub-see-shoe-shed Sir-Wit”
If you ask me to say “Much Obliged”?
What will it be?
It will be “Mat Oblai”…
That is why I still prefer to say “Thank you, Your Honor”!
Oh… I so admire those people that could speak English in court with an “accent”…
I love your friend's explanation. How succint and clever! However, in BM we still say, "Terima Kasih Yang Arif", don't we? Therein lies the confusion! Much obliged is nothing but formal language used in refined company. Much like saying "purchased", not "bought"; "washroom" not "toilet". Because "much obliged" does carry the meaning of "with appreciation/ with gratitude" as well, as when we say " I am much obliged to you for your kind assistance".
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